Controversial television? Sure, we think we know controversy here in the states, what with our Oscar telecasts, nudity-laden HBO fantasy dramas and our crass broadcast comedies.
But if we want to learn what a real media controversy looks like, we need to spend some time in Norway. There, outrage takes on an entirely different timbre. Or, should I say, timber.
This February, the country’s official broadcaster NRK aired a 12-hour special called National Firewood Night, tackling the subject of cutting, drying and stacking firewood. According to The New York Times, the program was a runaway hit—with 1 million people watching part or all of the show. Sure, that might not seem like a lot to us, but Norway has 5 million residents: That means a full 20% of the country tuned into National Firewood Night. Those are Oscars-type numbers—if the Oscars’ 40-plus million viewers were joined by 20 million more.
“I couldn’t go to bed because I was so excited,” wrote in one viewer, discussing the program’s eight-hour segment featuring logs burning in a fireplace. “When will they add new logs? Just before I managed to tear myself away, they must have opened the flue a little, because just then the flames shot a little higher.”
But Norwegians were clearly (ahem) split by the show’s content. Before the marathon show completed its run, angry wood enthusiasts were (ahem) logging complaints with the makers via text or tweet or (since we’re talking about snowy Norway here) dogsled express, saying they got it all wrong.
“Fifty percent complained that the bark was facing up, and the rest complained that the bark was facing down,” said Lars Mytting, who inspired the show through his best-selling tome Solid Wood: All About Chopping, Drying and Stacking Wood. “One thing that really divides Norway is bark.”
One viewer actually smashed his television over the program—though, in fairness, it might’ve simply been an unfortunate accident.
“Went to throw a log on the fire, got mixed up, and smashed it right into the TV,” tweeted Andre Ulveseter.
We can learn many things from this story.
First, we now know why Plugged In has not installed a satellite office yet in Norway. It’d be a far too taxing job, keeping up with such hard-hitting controversies.
But I think it also illustrates something else: It’s natural for us to respond passionately to things that are important to us. Firewood is extremely important in Norway—particularly, I’d imagine, in February. The show’s host called firewood the “foundation of our lives.”
Is it any wonder, then, that even those of us who live in less firewood-dependent countries also grow passionate on subjects we also find foundational? The stuff we write about in this blog and on this website are important to us and, presumably, to many of you. Our passion is a sign of engagement, a signal that what we discuss is important to us. And even if we may occasionally disagree on certain points or issues, the passion we bring to whatever discussions we have, either here or elsewhere, is great.
That said, let’s just not hurl any logs at our TVs, shall we?
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